iOS 5 - SEVEN WAYS TO SAVE

If you're anything like me, you're on your iPhone a lot throughout the day. Whether you're taking calls, iMessaging, listening to music or lurking Twitter, your battery is losing juice by the minute. Yes, you can invest in a battery boosting case and throw it on your phone when you're in need. Owning a car charger ensures you can power up during your daily commute. It can even be as simple as reducing your screen brightness. But what else? Here are seven simple ways you can increase your battery life you may not know about already.

1.  Disable Bluetooth and wi-fi when not in use.

It's that simple. Bluetooth and wi-fi are culprits for draining the life out of your battery because they're constantly working. When you know you're not using the two, go ahead and disable them in your settings until you need them again. Doing so will not erase any data such as remembered wi-fi hotspots, but you'd be surprised just how much battery it can save.

Settings > Wi-Fi
Settings > General > Bluetooth

2. Restore your network settings.

If you've had the same iPhone for a while and you've never reset your network settings, now would be a good time to do so. Data accumulated on your phone over time such as old wi-fi hotspots can suck up quite a bit of battery. Restoring network settings won't erase things such as your contacts or apps, but it will forget all remembered wi-fi hotspots and give you a clean slate. That being said, be prepared to re-enter all your wi-fi passwords. This method can preserve anywhere from 5-10% of battery life and you might even find that your iPhone runs snappier after restoring.

Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings

3. If you don't need the notifications, shut them off.

This is another easy way to save battery life that most seem to overlook. Many people are unaware that you can control which apps can send you notifications and which ones can't, and doing so can save heaps of battery life and headaches from pointless alerts you don't need to see. Keep important apps in your Notification Center such as Mail or Twitter, but get rid of ones that usually only send out advertisements anyway such as Hipstamatic or Shazam. Notifications are constantly fetching and pushing information and therefore using battery, keep the list limited to what's necessary and scrap what isn't.

Settings > Notifications > Edit > Select app, turn Notification Center off

4. Disable location services when you don't need it.

Like Notifications, controlling which apps use location services can also save you some battery. Location services utilizes the GPS in your iPhone and therefore uses some power, but you can limit which apps use the service and which don't. Apps like maps and weather will obviously need to know where you are at all times, but there are quite a few that can do without it. Go ahead and disable the apps that don't need to know your location.

Settings > Location Services

5. Deactivate Ping!

This one's pretty self-explanatory. Nobody uses Ping. It doesn't need to be running on your iPhone. Disable it and save some juice.

Settings > General > Restrictions > Shut off Ping

(Sorry if you actually use Ping...)

(But really, who uses Ping?!)

6. Don't send diagnostic reports.

This one might piss off Apple a little bit, but you can go ahead and choose not to send diagnostic reports. I'm not sure how much this will help in the grand scheme of things, but it's bound to save a little bit of power since your phone isn't constantly sending reports.

Settings > General > About > Diagnostics & Usage

7. Shut off 3G.

This last one is for one of those last resort "I have 10% of battery left and my wife's water just broke" situations. Disabling 3G will of course slow down data speeds significantly, but it can buy you a little bit of battery time if you're in dire need.
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So that's it. I'm not saying my methods are going to magically increase your battery life 50% at a time, but they may help you a little bit here and there. This of course also works for iPod Touch and isn't necessarily limited to iOS 5.

Also, don't be a dumbass. Charge your phone.
- S


'Goodnight and Go' - Imogen Heap

VALENTINES SHMALENTINES

It's that time of year again. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and like an uncomfortable dinner with your girlfriend's sheltered parents and her Aunt Petunia cracking jokes about bundt cake pans, there's no escaping. I'm not going to go on an opinionated tangent about how Valentine's Day is just another corporate scheme to force us to buy things we don't need. I won't mention how concerning it is that we as a human race feel we need a specific day to give our significant other some TLC. And I'm definitely not going to talk about how miserable I am deep down that I won't be spending the 14th cuddling under warm blankets and eating overpriced chocolates with a charming dude named Gregory who isn't afraid to gently kiss my eye sockets.

I am, however, going to tell you five ways you can spend your ever-so-single Valentine's Day. You know, other than moping on the couch in ill-fitting flannel crying into a tub of Ben & Jerry's while watching shitty romance movies.

1) Take yourself out on a date.

It's that simple. Consider the date you might be going on if your ass wasn't single and go on your own. Visit your favourite coffee shop and order the biggest size of whatever hot (or cold) beverage you like. Go to that restaurant you never go to because you know when you do you'll end up consuming your weight in shrimp scampi, New York cheesecake and a whole bottle of Pinot Noir. Head to the cinema and take in a film of your choosing. Hit up the local symphony and get lost in the sounds for a couple hours, all on your own. If you've never done these kinds of things by yourself before, it may seem a little scary and pathetic, but I promise you'll get out of there feeling refreshed and grateful you didn't let your evening go to waste. Sometimes, the greatest adventures are those you have with yourself.

2) Spend the evening cooking or baking.

They say making a meal with your lover is a great way to spend some quality bonding time together. Why not spend some quality bonding time with yourself? Dig up a couple recipes you've always wanted to try out, blast your favourite tunes and get in the kitchen. Take it from me, there is nothing more satisfying than parading around your kitchen in your underwear with a spatula in one hand and a glass of wine in the other while whipping up some delicious food. Set up a pretty table setting and enjoy what you just made. Have leftovers? Feed them to the dog. He's never ripped your heart out of your chest and stomped on it like whats-his-face did. (Just kidding, put it in to-go containers and take it to work for lunch).

3) Girls (or guys) (or both) night.

What better way to distract yourself from your lacklustre love life than with some good friends? Invite your pals over for some greasy finger food, crack a few beers, pop a couple bottles, set up a few board games and have a grand ol' time together. And hey, if you're all single, you can sit around and laugh at how pathetic your lives are!

4) Pamper yourself.

Light some candles and take a relaxing bubble bath with $10 worth of 100% Pure Dead Sea salts thrown in. Cover your face in an Amazonian clay mask and take creepy pictures of yourself in Photo Booth. Give yourself a mani/pedi. Turn your home into a day spa exclusive to you. The next morning you'll feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and extra sexy. Not that it matters since you live alone with your Burmese cat named Edgar and the only guy that comes to your house is 52-year-old Randy from UPS.

Kidding. There's also Old Man Abraham who likes to watch you through his attic window when you're not paying attention.

5) Go about your day like a normal human being.

                          

Self-explanatory.

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So that's it. Just because many of us spend Valentine's Day depressed and angry doesn't mean you have to. And hey, if you're still upset, just remember...Edgar still loves you.
-S


'Alice' - Pogo

CUT THE WHEAT, LOSE THE WEIGHT

A little while back my Twitter pal @joshplague retweeted this article + infographic about how fats are not what make us gain weight, carbs are. I'm not by any means a health guru so what I'm about to say might not be right on the ball (feel free to correct me if it's not) but when I say "carbs", I don't mean the good, complex kind such as fruits and vegetables. I mean the empty, simple carbs, like wheats - the ones that take zero time and zero work for your body to digest. There's a lot of controversy surrounding this infographic, saying it's just like a "resurrected Atkins Diet propaganda", and that it's completely misleading. I would agree to an extent, but I'm looking at the bigger picture and reading between the lines. Through a little bit of research and a lot of common sense, I've broke it down for myself this way:

1) Limit breads and pastas, and bear in mind that just because something is "whole grain" or "whole wheat", doesn't mean you should eat a ton of it.

2) Protein, protein, protein.

3) Avoid processed foods as much as possible.

5) Stock up on fruits & vegetables.

6) WATER!

Simple, right? I'm sure I sound like a broken record, you've heard it all before, but I thought I'd give my two cents anyway. Maybe I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but this is what I've been doing and it's working for me. At the beginning of January I, like everyone else in the world, resolved to take better care of myself and my health this year. My struggles with health have never been just about the pounds, but more so about how I feel mentally and physically. It's been a month and a bit and I've cut bad carbs out of my daily eats substantially (and yes, living in an Italian household, it has been difficult. But not quite as difficult as I thought it would be) as well as working in more exercise into my routine. It hasn't been long at all and the weight is already coming off, but most importantly, I feel so much better. I have a lot more energy, and I find I stay fuller longer because I'm not filling my body with empty calories such as those in breads and pastas. My carb cravings have completely subsided. I've never been one to sit around eating junkfood all day, but I was definitely consuming a lot more carbs than my little 4'9" body needed. So I decided to make a change, and it's one I know I can stick to.

There's also a book on the market all about what I'm saying: Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. I haven't read the book yet but I'll definitely be picking it up soon to see what he has to say about the subject.

I know what I'm trying to say is bit all over the place and long-winded, but this post is more for me than anyone else. Regardless, I hope you got something out of it.

This is a lifestyle change for me. It could be one for you, too. I mean, I'm not going to sit here and tell you not to eat carbs anymore. I still eat and enjoy carbs, and I still indulge. I just eat less of them, and I indulge less often. (And I still drink beer, but we all know that already.)
-S


'Helicopter' - Oh Land

DO IT YOURSELF: SUGAR SCRUB

It's winter in Winnipeg and for most of us that means thirsty, dried out skin. I don't know about you, but I'm not really a fan of my face/body looking and feeling like a happy (or not so happy) medium between sandpaper and crushed up cornflakes, so I make it a point to exfoliate.

Exfoliating your skin is beneficial for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that it makes your skin really really soft. When you exfoliate you're essentially shaving off a layer of dead skin and exposing a fresh one, making your skin feel like new. Sounds like rocket science, right? (lolno)

There are hundreds of exfoliators on the market for just about everything; face, body, hands, lips - and if I'm going to be honest here, 95% of the time you're paying an arm and a leg for something you can make yourself, with simple ingredients you can find at home. I'm rather fond of my arm(s) and my leg(s) and would like to keep them, so I do just that. Here's a how-to scrub you can make at home that takes less than five minutes, costs next to nothing, and makes you feel like soft-skinned goddess (or god). Really, it does!

What you'll need:
Container or bowl
Sugar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (AKA liquid gold)
Honey

Put two heaping teaspoons of sugar in your container.

Add about a teaspoon of olive oil. You can add more later if you need.

Add a squeeze of honey. The nozzle on my bottle is broken so I added a little too much.

Mix it all together until blended. It should look something like this:

Mine turned out a little stickier than I liked because of the extra honey so I just added a bit more olive oil and sugar. You can add more of each ingredient as you like.

After you've made your scrub, wet your face (or whatever part of you that you want to exfoliate...to each their own really) and apply it in circular motions to your skin. Just a warning, this scrub is pretty abrasive. Leave it on your skin for a couple minutes and let it soak in, then either rinse or wipe it off. I like to do this before a shower because the honey can get a little messy.

Once the scrub is off, pat your skin dry and moisturize (or if you're like me, moisturize after your shower). When you're done your skin will feel soft, smooth, and hydrated. Like a freakin' baby's butt.

If you have any left you can just store it for next time. I like to do this about once or twice a week, or whenever I feel like I need to. I wouldn't recommend doing it everyday since the scrub is pretty rough.

It's as simple as that, taking the extra five minutes a couple times a week to exfoliate can work wonders on your skin.

Let me know if you try this out and tell me what you think!

Happy exfoliating,
- S


'Big Black Car' - Gregory Alan Isakov

HOMESPIRATION

One of my favourite pastimes is looking at interior design photography. Not only does it inspire me with my own home design projects, it gives me a bit of a glimpse into the minds of others.

To me, a person's place and the way they choose to decorate it (or not decorate it) is one of the most sincere representations of their personalities and the people they are. Sure, a house is a mere four walls, but it's also the place we live. It's the place we retreat to after a hard day's work. The place we share some of our most intimate of moments. The place we steal away to when we're not in the mood to face the world. The place where we can be our rawest, truest selves. It's the place we call home.

  

         

My setup is pretty weak compared to some of these photos, but it works for me:

I encourage you to look through some home design photography and get inspired as well. I'm constantly moving things around and adding extra flair to my space as it comes to me. You should too!
- S


'Born To Die' - Lana Del Rey

BACK TO BLOG

Back to black? Maybe later. Today, I'm back to blog.

The last time I took a ride on the blogwagon I was in my sophomore year of highschool with a little more acne and a lot more insecurities and teen angst. The majority of my posts consisted of depressing song lyrics and diary-style paragraphs about my so-called problems; why whats-his-face didn't like me back, my mother not giving me enough privacy, how my life was a perpetual black abyss of sadness and sorrow etc. I think I had a total of two followers on that blog, one was a spambot who looked a toss-up between a softcore pornstar and Kim Kardashian post 72-day marriage. Needless to say I've since deleted said blog and asked my friends to never talk about it again.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little insecure and I'm still a little angsty - but now I have better hair, better glasses, and buckets more self esteem.

Sappy nostalgia out of the way, I've been in search of a new way to express myself for a while now. As if my Twitter isn't an adequate enough soapbox for my opinions. I have a lot of feelings, okay?!

But really though, before you click away to go watch Parks & Rec or something, know that I don't intend on beginning every post on this blog with "You know what just irks me?". Despite the fact that "RANTS" is the first word in my blog description, I promise I'm not making a blog to be an uppity better-than-everyone superskank. I'm already enough of one on Twitter.

This blog will act as a creative outlet for myself and (hopefully) for you too. You can expect to see tidbits of my life, film/television & product reviews, my thoughts on current events, music, technology, comedy, photography, fashion & beauty, home design, DIY's & crafts, health & fitness, recipes and more with a little bit of mindless rambling sprinkled on top. Or maybe a lot. But who doesn't like sprinkles?

I'll also be attaching a song to the end of each post, a song of the day, if you will. The way I see it, music is better shared. This gives you a bit of insight into my collection, and perhaps a way for you to expand yours.

A wise (deceased) Englishman once said "Brevity is the soul of wit" so I'll wrap this up, but before you go...

Take everything I say with a grain of salt.
97% of the time I'm being sarcastic. You don't want to know about the other 3%.

It's good to be back to the blogging grind.

That's all for now.
- S

'Beach Frogs' - Kinisi